The long journey of writing and printing your book is finally at an end. You’re ready to share it with the world.
Now it’s time to launch your book. Doing this effectively is crucial for success, especially if you’re self-publishing. By utilising a well-executed book launch checklist, you can make sure your book reaches its audience, hits top sales, and builds your brand as an author. At Imprint Digital, we’ve helped countless UK authors navigate this process.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore everything you need to do after your book is printed, offering practical steps for selling self-published books on Amazon and more broadly. Covering every base, from distribution to marketing, here’s your ultimate book launch checklist for 2025 and beyond.
Why a Good Book Launch Matters
A book launch is your chance to generate buzz and establish your presence in the competitive publishing world.
Without a clear plan of action for it, even a beautifully printed book can struggle to gain traction. With our checklist, you can:
- Reach your target audience
- Boost your sales by using bookshops and platforms like Amazon
- Build ongoing momentum for your career as an author
- Avoid the common pitfalls of others in your position, such as poor distribution or a lack of reviews
Whether you’re considering short-run printing services or print-on-demand, these steps will put you in a strong position going forward. Let’s dive into our book launch checklist.
8-Steps to a Successful Book Launch
Step 1: Finalise Your Distribution Plan
Distribution is a core component of selling self-published books. Your book needs to be available where readers are shopping, be that online or offline.
- Online Retailers: Set up your book on Amazon KDP in order to obtain global reach. We distribute to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Waterstones, and independent places. Make sure your book has an ISBN for tracking (these are included in our paperback packages).
- Bookshops & Libraries: Use platforms like IngramSpark to help with distribution among bookshops, or pitch directly to UK independents. To better your chances, include a professional sell sheet with the details about your book, including its ISBN, blurb, and price.
- Ebooks: Publish a reflowable ebook on Kindle, Apple Books, or Kobo alongside your print edition. We can help you with ebook formatting and ebook marketing strategies.
- Direct Sales: Sell at events, through your website, or at local markets. Short-run printing (e.g., 25 hardbacks, 100 paperbacks) is ideal for this. Check out our book printing options.
As a pro tip, if you are selling a self-published book on Amazon, you can optimise your listing with a compelling description, keywords (e.g., your subgenre), and high-quality cover images. Learn more about our distribution services by speaking with our friendly team.
Step 2: Set Up Your Amazon KDP Listing
Amazon is a powerhouse when it comes to selling a self-published book, and typically accounts for a significant share of sales. Here’s how to optimise your listing on KDP:
- Title & Subtitle: Include keywords like your genre or theme to make your book more discoverable.
- Book Description: Write a blurb, 150-200 words long, that hooks readers. Whatever your unique selling points are, be they awards or accessibility features, emphasise them.
- Categories & Keywords: Choose two relevant categories and seven keywords. Tools like Publisher Rocket can be very useful when it comes to research here.
- Pricing: Set competitive pricing (ideally £7-£12 for paperbacks, £2-£5 for ebooks) based on your book’s genre and length. KDP has a royalty calculator that lets authors balance profit and affordability.
- Cover & Preview: Upload a high-resolution cover and enable the “Look Inside” feature, so readers can have previews.
Need help with your Amazon listing? Speak to our team and we can help.
Step 3: Build Your Author Platform
Authors with a strong platform are more likely to get better sales and engagement. Start building yours before you launch your book and get ahead:
- Website: Create a simple site with your bio, book details, and buy links. Platforms like Wix or WordPress are beginner-friendly, but still allow you to make a professional hub.
- Social Media: Engage on X, Instagram, or Goodreads. Behind-the-scenes content, like your printing process with Imprint Digital, can go a long way in connecting you with readers.
- Email List: Use Mailchimp to collect reader emails for newsletters. You can offer a free chapter or a discount to incentivise sign-ups.
- Author Profile: Amazon Author Central and Goodreads are good places to set up a profile of your own, where you can showcase your work and link to your website.
Post about your book’s journey on X with relevant hashtags to attract readers who themselves are interested in selling self-published books.
Step 4: Plan Your Book Launch Event
A launch event can create excitement and drive early sales:
- Virtual Launch: Host a live event on Zoom or YouTube. Read an excerpt, answer reader questions, and offer signed copies. On top of that, you can promote via your email list and on social media more broadly.
- In-Person Launch: Partner with a local bookshop or library in the UK for a signing or reading. Our short-run printing is perfect for events — school yearbook launches are a perfect example, see our yearbook printing service.
- Pre-Order: Enable pre-orders on Amazon KDP to build momentum. Offer discounts or exclusive bonuses (e.g., a free bookmark) for early buyers.
Include your launch event in your book launch checklist to make sure you’ve covered all the important details, be it invitations or stock availability.
Step 5: Secure Reviews & Endorsements
Reviews are essential when it comes to selling self-published books, especially on Amazon, where they can boost an author’s credibility and rankings:
- Advance Reader Copies (ARCs): Send digital or print ARCs to bloggers, review sites, or book clubs 4-6 weeks before your book launches. Digital proof copies can streamline this process for you.
- Reader Reviews: Encourage early readers to leave honest reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but don’t pay for reviews, as this might disrupt your compliance with platform policies.
- Endorsements: Reach out to any authors or experts in your genre for blurbs to feature on your cover or listing.
You can also place a subtle and polite request for reviews in your book’s back matter (e.g., “Enjoyed this book? Please share your thoughts on Amazon.”).
Step 6: Leverage Marketing & Promotion
Marketing is another critical step in the book launch checklist. There’s a range of strategies you can adopt in order to reach your target audience:
- Amazon Ads: Run Sponsored Product ads on KDP targeting your genre’s keywords (“cosy mystery,” for example). Start with a small budget and monitor the performance over time.
- Social Media Ads: Use Instagram or Facebook ads to target readers by their interest. You can share visually appealing graphics of your book to hook them in.
- UK-Specific Channels: Pitch to The Bookseller or local media to better your chances of features. UK book awards can also boost your credibility, especially the more prestigious ones.
- Email Campaigns: Send a launch announcement across your email list with a buy link and perhaps an exclusive offer.
Want more advice on how to market and promote your work? Speak to us today and we can help.
Step 7: Monitor Sales & Adjust Strategies
Once you’ve launched, you need to track the performance of your book in order to refine your approach:
- Analytics: Use KDP or IngramSpark dashboards, which will help you monitor sales, regions, and formats (print vs ebook).
- Feedback: Respond to reader feedback on X or Goodreads to build community and address any concerns.
- Adjust Pricing or Ads: If your sales start to falter, test lower prices or tweak your ad keywords.
Unsure about how to analyse your sales? See how we can help.
Step 8: Plan for Long-Term Success
There’s plenty more to do once your book is launched. You need to build on your momentum:
- Series or Follow-Ups: If your book is part of a series, start promoting the next volume. Use our book printing services for consistent quality across your titles.
- Expand Formats: Consider audiobooks or large print editions for accessibility.
- Engage Your Audience: Consistency across platforms is essential, so post regular updates on X, share reviews, and host giveaways to maintain interest.
Use short-run printing as well for additional stock that you can sell at festivals or signings. You can check prices for this via our instant quote tool.
Conclusion
Launching a book might be the most exciting moment in the publishing journey, but a well-planned book launch checklist is essential to making it a success.
If you focus on distribution, Amazon optimisation, marketing, and reader engagement, you can sell self-published books like a pro. At Imprint Digital, we’re here to support you with high-quality printing, distribution to retailers, and expert marketing strategies.
Ready to launch your book? Request an instant quote or contact us to discuss your launch plan.
Book Launch Checklist FAQs
What is a book launch checklist?
A book launch checklist is a step-by-step plan to promote and sell your book after printing, covering distribution, marketing, reviews, and events to maximise your reach and sales.
How do I start selling self-published books?
You can set up your distribution through Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or retailers. Build yourself an author platform, secure reviews, and use targeted marketing.
What’s the best way for selling self-published books on Amazon?
You need to optimise your KDP listing with a compelling description, relevant keywords, and competitive pricing. You can encourage reviews (which will boost your visibility) and run Amazon ads.
How long should I prepare for a book launch?
Plan 4-8 weeks for distribution setup, ARC distribution, and marketing. Our digital proofs can speed up the process for you.
How do I get the reviews for my self-published book?
Send ARCs to bloggers, UK review sites, or book clubs a good few weeks before launch. Include a polite review request at the back of your book.
Can I sell my book at events?
Yes, our short-run printing is ideal for events. Get pricing via our instant quote tool or contact us for more information.